11.26.09
1 a.m. CST Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STATUS REPORT: STS-129-20
STS-129 MCC STATUS REPORT #20
HOUSTON – The seven-member crew of Atlantis is packing the orbiter and
preparing to return home, wrapping up the 31st shuttle flight to the
International Space Station.
Commander Charlie Hobaugh, Pilot Barry Wilmore and Mission Specialists
Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman, Leland Melvin, Robert Satcher Jr. and
Nicole Stott were awakened at 12:28 a.m. with the song “Fly Me to the
Moon” by Frank Sinatra. It was played for Stott.
Cabin stowage will start at 3:48 a.m.
Hobaugh and Wilmore, with help from Bresnik, will check out the flight
control surfaces, including the rudder and the wing flaps at 4:48
a.m. Those surfaces will guide Atlantis’ unpowered flight through the
atmosphere to a landing. Immediately afterwards, at 5:58 a.m., the
astronauts will test fire reaction control system thrusters. The
thrusters will control the shuttle’s orientation as it descends and
begins its re-entry through the atmosphere.
All seven crew members will take a break at 8:13 a.m. to talk with
news media representatives. During the 20 minute chat they’ll take
questions from ABC Radio, WTVT-TV in Tampa and KCBS in Los Angeles.
After setup on the mid-deck of a recumbent seat for Nicole Stott,
returning after 90 days in space, 80 as a station crewmember, and
stowage of the shuttle’s Ku-band antenna, the crew is scheduled to go
to bed at 4:28 p.m. They’ll be awakened at 12:28 a.m. Friday for
their scheduled Kennedy Space Center landing. The first opportunity
would have Atlantis touching down at 8:44 a.m. Friday.
The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew
day, or earlier if events warrant.
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